EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Maybe the New York Jets should audition for "Saturday Night Live." They can be funny without even trying.

Thanks to a comedy of errors by the Jets in the second quarter, the New England Patriots sprinted to a 35-0 lead and sent some disheartened Jets fans headed home early. The most bizarre Jets miscue was by quarterback Mark Sanchez, who missed a handoff, then decided to run. Sanchez slipped, collided with the backside of guard Brandon Moore, and fumbled. Patriots safety Steve Gregory picked up the loose ball and ran 32 yards for a touchdown that gave New England a 21-0 lead.

Sanchez and the Jets will undoubtedly see that blooper played over and over again. If you're a Jets fan, it probably wasn't funny. But if you aren't, you could be forgiven for laughing out loud.

Believe it or not, things quickly got worse for the Jets. On the ensuing kickoff, Joe McKnight fumbled on the return. Julian Edelman recovered the loose ball in midair and ran 22 yards for another Patriots touchdown to make it 28-0. Late in the quarter, Edelman got well behind the Jets' defense for an easy score that made it 35-0.

New York kicked a field goal in the final seconds of the half to avoid the shutout.

The Jets viewed this as a statement game, and it was. After a quarter like this, it was hard to take their playoff chances seriously.